


Angeli Beneficium

by hantopia



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Animals love Yunho, BTS are in it for like two seconds, Captain! Hongjoong, HoHong, Latin plays a big role, Lots of fruit??, M/M, Not Beta Read, Pirates, Side Seongsang, ateez pirates, fairy! san, forest elf! yeosang, side woosan, this is for my hohong agenda
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:13:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23509717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hantopia/pseuds/hantopia
Summary: Yunho’s mother always told him he was blessed by angels. He didn’t know if the angels planned for him to fall in love with the captain of a pirate crew.
Relationships: Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Jeong Yunho/Kim Hongjoong, Kang Yeosang/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 11
Kudos: 38





	1. Horizon

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first official AO3 work so I hope you all enjoy! I have lots of plans for this story (:

When Yunho was younger he was convinced he could fly. After countless attempts of jumping off every high object he could, he concluded that he was wrong. His father had told him time after time to stop so he wouldn’t hurt himself - but his mother always allowed it to happen. “It’s not like it’s impossible”, she would sweetly whisper to Yunho, soft smile and shining eyes making their presence clear, just like always. She liked to encourage him to believe in the abnormal.

A year after, at the ripe age of seven, his mother was proven right. Yunho was adventuring off into his favorite place - the woods by the beach - when he met a boy with wings. Choi San is a lot of things: a joy to be around, a great dancer, a fairy who can shrink in size - but the most important role he has is being Yunho’s best friend since the day he showed him his cool tricks by the trees. Yunho’s mother was more than delighted to let him come over for dinner after her and Yunho’s father got back from their business trip. Fourteen years later they find themselves in the same antics as when they were kids. 

“That’s not fair! You know I can’t jump that far!” Yunho screams at San from across from the stream that flows through the forest. The two were running around - Yunho jumping across branches to chase San as he weaves through the air. It was a routine they’ve slipt into. They’d eat a big lunch at Yunho’s treehouse before spending hours chasing each other around until sunset. Sometimes they’d even sit on the roof of the bell tower to watch the sky turn from shades of blue to lilac and pink. 

“Maybe if you had wings you’d finally be able to catch me!” San lets out his contagious laugh while heading back to Yunho. “Are you hungry for a snack?” Next thing he knows Yunho is chasing San back in the direction they came from towards the blue vas of water near town. 

Pomusmare was a small port known for its abundance of fruit - in fact, the name literally translates to sea fruit in Latin. Nobody knew how the island came to have pretty much every berry imaginable. Feilds of strawberries and watermelons help farmers make a profit when visitors hit the markets. Coconuts, apples, and cherry trees line the entrance of the forest, right where the stone path leads from the ocean to the city. Yunho and San have tried it all - guava, dragon fruit, peaches, lychee, anything you can name. The elders of the town all tell of their ancestors claims of it always being this way. 

“Do you feel like coconut?” Yunho asked as San grew to his regular size.

“I always feel like coconut, don’t I?” His best friend responded while beginning to climb the tree they claim is the best. Although he has the ability to fly, sometimes San will climb a tree with Yunho so he doesn’t get too tired. At least that’s what he says, but Yunho really thinks it’s because he likes to be closer to him at times. 

“I’m amazed we haven’t gotten sick of fruit.” Yunho follows San up the branches, something he has easily grown good at. His mother always believed he had an odd way with nature with how well he connects to the forest. “You must have been blessed by an angel, darling. Not even the deer are afraid of you.” Like always, she was right. Yunho was very good with animals. Sometimes he would go outside and talk to them when the stars were shining. 

“I just think it’s because we have so many to choose from.” San grabs a coconut and starts to pull it off the branch. “Is that a new boat?” Yunho turns his head to the direction of the port at the question. A large dark wood ship sits at the edge, black flag with white details hanging from the front. 

“I think it’s a little big to be called a boat,” Yunho points out. “Maybe pirates?” It wasn’t unheard of around these parts. Pomusmare had all kinds of crazy tourists so pirates weren’t much of a hassle. Besides, most of them had always been fairly nice. Nothing like the stories tell of them.

The two boys move back to the ground and lay down in a patch of grass to soak in the sun. “Wait, I can’t get this open,” San’s whining causes Yunho to open his eyes and squint at the brightness. “We left the tool at your house.”

“They’re not in my bag?” Yunho sits up and rubs his eyes. Usually, they carry their things in his brown shoulder bag, that way they wouldn’t have to go back to the treehouse. 

San shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders. “Guess not. I can go grab it, I’ll be quick.” Before Yunho could even protest he began to fly back to the woods, shrinking in size once again. He always preferred to fly while smaller, something about it helping him go faster. Yunho wasn’t sure if that was fact or theory. 

He was going to lay back down and take a quick nap as he waited, but his stomach grumbled so he figured he could try and break the coconut himself. He grabbed a nearby rock and began to hit the fruit as hard as he could. He knew he was making a fool of himself, the thing barely dented and his hand began to hurt, but his stomach was screaming at him. After what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes he lets out a loud groan and throws the brown ball at a tree. He was not expecting a loud laugh to come from behind him. 

“Do you need help?” The stranger asks while approaching. “It looks like you were having a little trouble there.” Yunho notices his hair kind of looks like a coconut itself. 

“Do you have a tool?” Yunho felt his face light up with the thought of finally being able to eat. The stranger shook his head while lifting the coconut and examining it.

“Don’t really need one.” 

“Listen, dude, you look strong and all, but there is no way you’re going to be able to just break a-” Yunho shut up the second he saw the coconut split in half just from being pulled. “I- stand corrected.” 

“It’s just a cool trick I taught myself,” he claims as he takes a seat across from Yunho. He hands him the other half of the fruit with a kind smile. “I can do less impressive fruits, as well. Actually haven’t tried it with a coconut yet, so I don’t know how I managed to pull that off.”

“So you’re not magic?” Yunho jokes.

“No, but I know a few who are.” 

“My best friend is.” As if on time, San lands gently on his kneecap, tool in hand. Yunho almost laughed at how it made him look even tinier. 

“That’s me! Wait how did you get that coconut open?”

“Ah, I did it because your friend got impatient. Are you a fairy?” San pulled a piece of coconut out while nodding his head. He took a seat right where he was on Yunho’s knee. 

“Haven’t met another creature that was a human with wings.”

“There are angels. That’s what they say at least, I haven’t met one.” The stranger talked to the pair with a smooth voice. The two friends have met a lot of interesting people - sometimes even magical beings - but none made Yunho feel welcomed right from the start like this one. “I’m Jongho.”

“I’m Yunho, it’s nice to meet you,” He introduces himself with his signature smile before San does the same. 

“He’s just a normal, boring human. I’m his best friend, San. Are you from the ship?”Jongho hums with a nod, finishing his bite before he answers. 

“Yeah, my crew and I decided to stop and stock up. We are going to host a feast with another crew not too far from here. I’ve never seen a place this abundant in sources, though.” 

“So you are a pirate!” San hops up in excitement. “Pirates are always my favorite visitors. You guys have such cool stories!” Yunho quietly agrees as he nods. They’ve heard a lot about various quests and roberries. “You’re dressed much more casual than most.”

“I think that’s because all of us are fairly young, and our captain is as laid back as they come. There’s only six of us, all about our age. I’m actually the youngest. We don’t really have too many stories to tell, yet, because we’ve only been on sea for a little over a year together, but we’ve got plans to do so.” It’s evident that his crew means a lot to him by the way his eyes shine as he speaks highly of them. Yunho can relate when it comes to talking about the ones he loves. 

“We can help you find the best deals?” Yunho’s offer is more like a question than a statement. “We know where to get the cheapest bundles, and can even help you pick from these trees. No need to buy something you can eat for free.”

“I like the way you think,” Jongho agrees. “I would love some help. We have to go back to the ship first to get some bags. Are you okay with that?” 

“I’ve never been on a ship,” Yunho admits as he motions for San to hop off his leg so he could stand up. They leave the shell of the coconut where they are, knowing it’ll either decompose or be stolen from some kind of animal for whatever use, and follow Jongho towards the giant ship. 

“Never?” Jongho asks surprised. 

“My parents sail often for business trips. My father just never let me go with them. Never really wanted to go without my mother.” Yunho’s parents haven’t been home from their last trip in over a year. The trip was only supposed to last a month. The town talks - people have made assumptions - but Yunho still holds onto his positive feelings. “They’ll come back one day”, he would tell San.

“Our ship is surprisingly large just for the six of us. It was our captain’s grandfathers. He’s known how to sail since he was a toddler, I’m pretty sure.” The three talked about what it was like to sail throughout the journey to the port. Jongho would answer Yunho and San’s questions with excitement. 

Yunho almost dropped his jaw at the sight of the ship from a closer glance. The wood was dark and had mixes of medium browns twirling up the poles that held the sails. The smallest gold details lined certain areas like the wheel and the front design. Jongho was right when he said it was too large for only six people. The thing looked as if it could comfortably cabin fourty. The black flag read the word Aurora on it in a bold white, two simple stripes accompanying it. Everything was simple, yet found a way to catch anyone’s eyes. 

“Is anyone going to get mad that we are following you?” San asked as he flew next to Yunho who was currently climbing the ladder on to the main floor from the port. 

“No, they’re usually pretty excited to make friends. Sorry in advance if you think they are strange.”

Yunho follows Jongho right off the ladder onto the main deck, right in the middle of the ship. He didn’t know why he felt as if he were home. 

“Is anyone else on the ship right now?” San asks while landing on Yunho’s left shoulder. Jongho hums before responding. 

“I believe the captain stayed on to make sure nothing happens. Seonghwa probably did, as well. I don’t know why he did so when he always complains about what we bring back. He’s usually the one who prepares the food.” He leads the two towards a double door hatch near the front of the ship. When he opens it a set of stairs leads them down to what seems to be storage. 

“Weird how we just met and I already trust you to take me into a dark room at the bottom of your ship,” Yunho jokes as he accepts the bag from Jongho’s hand.

“Even after I told you I was a pirate. Maybe you have a death wish.” They follow him back up to the main deck with a laugh. “You’re lucky we are the nicest pirates you will ever meet.” 

“We’ve met some fairly nice pirates in our life,” Yunho informs. 

“But could they break a coconut with their bare hands?” 

“I don’t know how that correlates with your personality instead of your physical strength, but you do make a point,” San chimes. 

When they reach the deck, two men are conversing with each other by a pile of boxes. One is almost the same height as Yunho, which took him by surprise. Not many people were as tall as him. The other was surprisingly short, and his hair was colored a light lilac. 

“I come bearing guests!” Jongho excitedly shouts, arms stretched out in front of him at the announcement. The two turn away from their conversation with confusion before wearing a smile at the sight of Yunho and San. “The freakishly tall one is Yunho and the short one with wings is San.” He introduces the pair before doing the same to his friends with a pointed finger, “This is Mingi and Wooyoung. They’re both idiots.” 

“Hey!” Wooyoung screamed, quite loudly may Yunho add, with a giant grin. “I’m your favorite idiot, right?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Jongho mumbles jokingly. “Anyway, they’re locals. They want to help show me where to get the best deals. What all did you grab?”

“Oranges, bananas, plums, and grapefruit.” Mingi’s voice was much deeper than Yunho expected it to be, the polar opposite of how he felt about Wooyoung’s. 

“You got plums? Seonghwa is going to kill you, those bruises too easily!” Jongho shakes his head in disapproval. 

“Well what else was I supposed to get?” 

“It’s an island of fruit,” Yunho adds in with a slight giggle. “You could have gotten literally anything else.”

“I like him!” Mingi beams, causing Yunho to grin. 

“Hwa won't know, we can take them back.” Wooyoung protests. 

“Hwa won’t know what?” The voice makes everyone turn to their left, two figures approaching. The taller one has dark hair sweeping over half his face, a lip ring pointed out on the right side of his mouth, and rings aligned his fingers. Yunho had to admit he was attractive - but not even close to the other. 

The shorter one had bright red hair, striking eyes, and mouth that made Yunho shiver. Just like his friend, his fingers were decorated with multiple rings.Yunho has genuinely never seen anyone this pretty in his entire life. The red haired strangers eyebrow quirked up in amusement before addressing the newcomers. “You made some friends?” Even his voice made Yunho weak. 

Jongho went through the same introduction process as before. The tall one with the lip ring was the famous Seonghwa, where the love of Yunho’s life was Hongjoong, the captain. Of course he was the captain. He spoke with so much authority it made Yunho want to listen to every word he said, paying attention to each detail. 

San still sat on Yunho’s shoulder, staying small for reasons unknown. He hasn’t spoken since meeting the new bunch which was very unlike him. He had always been social.

“Back to what’s important,” Seonghwa interrupts Yunho’s train of thought, “What are you two trying to hide?” 

“The idiots got plums. I blame Wooyung,” Jongho snitches with no shame. 

“Surprisingly not the dumbest thing he’s done,” Seonghwa shakes his head with a lighthearted smile. “What are you planning on bringing back, other than new friends we can’t eat?” 

“We could eat the small one, he’s adorable.” Wooyoung’s words made San tug at Yunho’s ear, despite it obviously being a joke. 

“We are going to help Jongho pick some fruit from trees. We know where the best ones are, and he won’t need to spend a fortune because only the locals know about where they grow. That way it’s free,” Yunho informs, trying his best not to make a fool of himself. 

“Sounds like a plan. Dumb and dumber probably spent six silvers on a dozen oranges,” Hongjoong rolls his eyes, still in a lighthearted manner, despite the slight roast. 

“Six? Where were the ones for six, we spent eight!” Mingi whines, causing everyone to glare at him.

“I’ll go with you guys. I feel like a tour of a new town seems nice today,” Hongjoong talks as Seonghwa helps Wooyoung and Mingi carry the boxes away. “They can stay here and look after things, I’m sure we won’t get robbed by a load of salesmen.”

“Don’t be too surprised. One of the best watermelon growers just got arrested for stealing seeds from his competitor.” 

“So now you speak,” Yunho bullies San as they make their way back to town.


	2. Feel Like Summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After picking fruit with Jongho and Hongjoong, Yunho and San give a tour of Pomusmare to the pirate gang. 
> 
> Chapter title from TXT’s Our Summer.

“You were really quiet earlier,” Yunho mentions to San as they pick a couple of apples to put in the fabric bag they were given, “It’s not like you.” The pair had led both Jongho and Hongjoong back to the forest to pick various fruits. When asked what they should pick, Hongjoong just waved them off and told them anything would work. Jongho said to not put the blame on him if Seonghwa disapproves. 

“I was nervous” San let’s out a chuckle, flying higher to pick the apples out of Yunho’s reach. “That Wooyoung guy was the prettiest man I’ve ever seen. I guess I just shut down.” 

“I’ve never seen you so quiet before,” Yunho teases. “Who would’ve thought a pirate with strange color in his hair would be what it takes?” 

“You’re one to talk!” San chunks an apple straight for his head, but Yunho skillfully ducked just in time to avoid it. 

“What does that mean?” Slipped out of Yunho’s mouth despite knowing exactly what the fairy was talking about. 

“Oh, please,” San scoffed, “You were practically drooling at the short one.” Yunho feels his cheeks go warm. He didn’t know he had been that obvious.

“You can’t call him short when you haven’t even grown since we’ve met them.”

“There’s no way he’s taller than me when I’m at my full height. I’m not that short.” The two continue to tease each other while picking apples, too distracted to notice the pirates had been laying down on the grass patch soaking up the sun. 

“I doubt you’re taller - and if so it would only be by a little bit!”

“I will ask his height right now.” San drops another apple into the bag, it now being halfway full, before flying back down. “Hey Hongjoo- are you two napping?”

Jongho lets out a mumbled “No” before sitting up. “We finished filling up both of our bags. You two are just slow.”

“Is that Yeosang?” Hongjoong interrupts before the boys could protest. Everyone turns their heads to face whoever was walking out of the forest. The boy, like the rest of the crew, was very attractive. His brown hair parted down the middle and curled away from his face. His jawline was sharp and matched his pointed ears. Yunho assumed he was magic in some way.

“Seems to be so,” Jongho hops up and waves the boy over. “Where have you been?” 

“I found a treehouse in the middle of the woods by a stream. Decided to take a nap. Who’s this?” His voice was smooth as he flickered his eyes between San and Yunho. 

“Wait a minute - you said a treehouse?” San asks with a chuckle, giving Yunho a knowing look. “You just let yourself in and took a nap?”

“Yeah it was unlocked and I was tired. I made the bed before I left.” 

“That’s where I live.” Yunho was surprised even a pirate would sleep in a strangers home. 

“To be fair people usually don’t live in treehouses,” Yeosang puts his hands up in protest after shrugging his shoulders.

“Yunho has always connected with nature. It’s like he finds himself at home in the woods. He can communicate with animals. Sometimes I think he’s magic, as well.” San circle’s around Yunho slowly as he describes him, wings looking iridescent in the sunlight. 

“Sounds like our Yeosang. He’s actually a forest elf,” Hongjoong explains while handing his friend an empty bag. “Don’t you have fruit to be picking?”

Yeosang rolls his eyes in a joking manner as he collects the bag. “I can’t communicate with animals. I do like talking to plants, though. You wouldn’t believe the things they have to say.” 

“I can’t actually understand what the animals are saying, at least not literally” Yunho explains. “I just sit and talk with them. I feel like I know what they mean, though. They’re just easy to read.”

“They also really like being around him. Sometimes they just show up, like he’s Snowwhite or something.” San lands on Yunho’s left shoulder, probably too tired from flying so much. Yunho held in a chuckle as he remembered the time a bear sat with them during the middle of a picnic. San almost screamed his head off but all the animal wanted was a sandwich. 

“Yeosang can grow flowers, too,” Hongjoong explains with a proud tone. “It tends to brighten up the ship when we get into an argument.” 

Yunho takes notice that Hongjoong really isn’t like any of the other captains he has met. Pirate captains tend to take everything very seriously - sometimes a little too much. They’re stern and picky, and make the crew do everything without them. Hongjoong seems to be the polar opposite of that. His lighthearted attitude shines through easily. It seems as if he tries to make the ship a home, and that his crew is his family and not his slaves. 

“Seonghwa likes it,” Yeosang’s smile is shy as he speaks, “What’s a fruit you’d give a boyfriend? Like.. a pomegranate, right? Is that romantic?” Yunho lets out a giggle.

“I don’t think that’s the first one that comes to mind,” he comments. “Maybe cherries?”

“Cherries... Yeah, that sounds good,” the elf mumbles before walking off towards the nearest section of cherry trees. 

“Seonghwa and Yeosang have been dating forever,” Jongho informs. 

“It’s true,” Hongjoong nods. “They were the last people who joined us, along with Wooyoung. Only about four months ago. I think they’ve been together since they were teenagers. I know Hwa would have absolutely refused to come if Yeosang didn’t agree.” He grins endearingly at the memory, making Yunho want to coo.

“I’m convinced they’re already married and they’re just hiding it from us,” Jongho adds. “They act like it.”

“That’s probably just because they’ve known each other for so long,” San adds in. “I can not stress how many times we have been asked if we were married or in a relationship. We don’t even have that kind of chemistry.”

“No,” Hongjoong picks up his bag as he motions for everyone to follow him back to the ship, “I think they were like this even before they started dating.”

“Imagine being in love,” San scrunches his nose at Yunho, “I’d rather rip off my wings than date you.”

“Am I that ugly?” He misses the way Hongjoong turns back with a quick glance. 

-

Golden hour to sunset was always Yunho’s favorite time of the day. He loved the way Pomusmare looked as the sky turned to dusty oranges and rosy pinks. The weather was always perfect - a nice breeze calming from the midday sun. He especially took note of how Hongjoong’s skin glowed like sweet honey. He could easily turn into a pile of mush if he stared too long. 

Everyone had already carried the loads of fruit to the ship around half an hour ago, but the pirates insisted on being shown around the unique town. Hongjoong had put on a pout, and despite Yunho knowing he would have done it anyway, who was he to say no?

“Are you planning on leaving soon?” Yunho hoped the answer would be no as he asked Hongjoong. The pair were trailing behind the rest of the gang, San being the leader fluttering at a slow pace. They had just finished passing the main markets, the two natives explaining which stand sold what fruit and if it were overpriced. 

“Although we take turns sailing at night and are capable of doing so, I think we will leave in the morning. It’s not always ideal to leave a new city at nightfall. They say it brings bad luck.” The wind blows his hair slightly to the side, showcasing his cheeks and perfectly pointed nose. Yunho thinks God has favorites, and Hongjoong was at the top of the list.

“My mother always refuses to leave on a boat unless it is daytime, as well.” Talking about his parents as if they haven’t been gone this long brings a form of normalcy to him. He misses them, but no longer dwells on their absence. He finds that does no good. 

“Is she on one right now?” Yunho gives a soft smile to Hongjoong’s question. 

“I believe so. It’s been so long, though. They left for a trip a little over a year ago. Usually, they’d only be gone for a few weeks.” He sees the way Hongjoong’s eyes widen and the frown that adjourns the bottom half of his face. “No, don’t worry!” He rushes. “I don’t think anything bad has happened to them. I feel like I would know. I just… have this feeling that they’re okay.”

“I’m glad, then,” he responds. “So they sail often?” Yunho took note that Hongjoong decided to use present tense, as well. It made his chest feel fuzzy. 

“Yeah, they go sell fruit to other ports. My mother also likes to build boats, as well, so they’re gone often.” He remembers always begging her to let him come with them, but his father had always been too protective. He understands why, the sea is a dangerous place, but sometimes he wishes he could experience it.

“She builds boats?” Excitement is evident in Hongjoons face, mouth widening in a smile, eyes big with excitement. “That’s amazing! That takes so much skill, I’m jealous.”

“It sounds difficult. Sometimes she comes home completely exhausted from building. The ships take the most out of her. She’s usually gone a few months when working on them.”

“Your mom builds ships for a living and you’ve never been sailing?” Yunho shakes his head. 

“My father doesn’t want me getting hurt.”

“I don’t know where I would be if it weren’t for the ocean. I’ve grown up sailing, knew how to direct a ship since I was a pre-teen. My grandfather taught me everything, and he handed the ship down to me a few years ago. There’s nothing quite like it.” 

“My mother actually built my treehouse, as well,” Yunho stirs the conversation due to lack of knowledge about the sea. He was always attracted to the water, had gone swimming (and even skinny dipping) with San countless times, even made friends with a couple of fish, but he knew none of that was the same as being on a boat out in the open water. “They have a home here in town, I sometimes go there, but when I turned eighteen my mother built it for me.”

“Does this have to do with your love of nature?” The two continue their conversation as they follow everyone else up the steps of the bell tower. Yunho knew San wanted to show them the sunset, and this was the perfect spot to do so.

“Yeah, San and I have always had the forest as our hangout spot. Most of the town doesn't mind that I stay there, but sometimes we get a snarky remark or two from some elder telling us to grow up and get jobs.”

“That’s quite rude,” Hongjoong scrunches his nose as he speaks, trying hard not to stumble on the broke step. They’re almost to the top now and Yunho can feel himself growing excited. He always loved showing new visitors the sunsets. 

“It doesn’t really bother us.” The pair never cared much for what others thought of them.

“What would you do? If you absolutely needed a job?”

“I have no idea,” he admits as they step around the bell and out on the balcony. 

“I think you’d be a great tour guide,” The shorter one teases as he draws his attention to the town in front of him. “Give us the rundown.”

“So this is the path we walked,” Yunho noticed everyone was now paying attention as he trailed his finger down the path they were on from the markets. “So you know the markets and main road. If you would trail off left on this path, it would lead you to the forest and my treehouse.”

“Does anybody else live in the woods?” Mingi asked with curiosity. 

“Just Yunho,” San answered before he could. “We’ve explored the whole thing and haven’t found anyone.”

“Forest elves are good at camouflage, you never know,” Yeosang teased. 

“Well, as far as non-magical beings, there are none. We could navigate the trees in a blindfold at this point.” The fairy wasn’t lying, they’ve tried to do so before and it went surprisingly smooth.

“If you look across the woods you can see the schools and playground. The buildings are separated from preschool, primary, and secondary,” He continues pointing around the town, describing each detail he can without sounding boring.

“When you’re not eating fruit where do you guys eat?” Wooyoung asked, eyes scanning the town.

“Right by the dock there’s a great burger restaurant. It’s in the arts district, we call the whole district Artium.”

“Sounds Latin,” Jongho pointed out, making the two best friend laugh.

“That’s because it is,” San comments. “Pomusmare is Latin for sea fruit.”

“Nobody knows why but the whole town derives from Latin names. We had to take a course over it in school for a year.”

“So you know Latin?” Yunho didn’t miss the excitement in Seonghwas voice.

“There’s a lot to it since it’s a dead language, but we’ve grown up hearing it, so we are quite familiar with it,” he answers despite his confusion.

The mood shifts. Yunho and San share a confused glance as the pirates give each other a look, almost as if they were communicating without words. The silence isn’t weird or uncomfortable, and in no way does Yunho feel negative about it, it’s just different. He had no idea how important Latin was. 

“Guys,” Hongjoong finally speaks, turning his attention to the confused pair, “How do you feel about an adventure?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now all the fun begins!


	3. Wave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If this moment is our wave  
> Don’t be afraid to face it harder

If you told Yunho his first time sailing would be with a pirate crew he met 24 hours ago and not with his parents he wouldn’t have believed you. Yet, here he is, cold breeze of the morning air hitting his face about half an hour away from Pomusmare. San sits on his shoulder after telling Yunho he didn’t want the others knowing he could grow quite yet, and despite not knowing why, Yunho agreed not to say anything. He felt oddly calm about the whole situation. 

“Have you even said a word to Wooyoung since we climbed on board?” Yunho asks his best friend. The second the two arrived Mingi and Jongho were excited to show them to their room. They explained that the ship was so large that they could pick any of the rooms that were open for them to have for themselves. Despite being offered a single bedroom, they insisted on sharing. 

“Nope,” San pops the”p” loudly before letting out a chuckle. “I wouldn’t even know what to say.”

“Wouldn’t know what to say to who?” Hongjoong pops up beside the pair, grabbing on to the railing of the ship.

“You have a good habit of sneaking up on people,” San whines, hand on his heart. 

Yunho gets an idea. 

“Hongjoong, I think San wants to learn more about sailing. Do you think he could sit up with Wooyoung as he steers for a while?” He made sure to put on a bright smile and ignore the pain from San pinching his ear. Hongjoong grew his signature grin and eagerly nodded his head before responding. 

“I think that’s a great idea, come on!”

“I hate you,” San mumbles with crossed arms into Yunho’s ear as he follows Hongjoong up the steps towards the back of the ship. Last night the captain had told Yunho that nobody really played a specific role on board. They all had duties and chores to uphold as a team. He did mention that Seonghwa was the only chef because he didn’t trust anyone else to do the cooking. As for everything else, the whole crew took turns whenever they agreed to do so. 

“Wooyoung, are you lonely?” Hongjoong asks as they approach.

“I could always use some company,” the lilac haired pirate responds.

“San is interested in how to sail,” Yunho informs, hoping this would go his way. 

“Oh?” He tilts his head in response. “I can do that, do you just want to stand around me?”

“Actually, I was planning on taking Yunho with me.” Hongjoong’s response took Yunho by surprise. This was not a part of his plan. 

“Okay! San, did you want to stand on my shoulder?” Yunho almost laughed at the cough that escaped his best friend’s mouth.

“I - Yeah, if you don’t mind.” He took his time flying from Yunho to Wooyoung, turning around and sticking his tongue out in the process. “What are all these buttons for?”

“Come on,” Hongjoong pulls Yunho’s attention away from them as he began walking back down the staircase. Yunho wanted to ask what they were doing, but he didn’t want to be rude and figured the captain would soon explain. Just as he thought, the second the two were at the front of the ship, Hongjoong did just that. “I figured I could give you a tour! You showed me around your home, so why don’t I show you around mine?”

“Yeah, that would be great,” Yunho sincerely smiles back. Maybe one day he could show off his pirate ship knowledge to his mother. 

“Are you sure?” Hongjoong’s hand goes to the back of his neck as he speaks, “It’s not much, but I’ve grown to love it.”

“This is one of the biggest ships I’ve seen in a long time, especially for the number of people on board,” he lets out a laugh before continuing, “I think it’s really cool that my first time sailing is on a pirate ship out of all the boats out there. That’s something to brag about.” Hongjoong’s smile only widens as Yunho compliments him. 

“Perfect! I figured we’d start from front to back. It’s actually called the upper forecastle if we are getting technical. It’s a nice spot to go dolphin watching.” Yunho stays silent as Hongjoong makes his way back down to the main deck. “Underneath it is where the sleeping chambers are. I don’t like calling them that because it sounds small, and you know they aren’t.” 

“Far from it,” Yunho jokes, causing a giggle to come from the red haired pirate. 

“Where we just brought San, towards the back of the boat, is actually called the poop deck. An even worse name.” Hongjoong continues the tour of the ship, showing Yunho the kitchen, storage rooms, hold, lower deck, and even the best spots for hide and go seek. Although the ship was large, the spots were all fairly easy to remember. “This is one of my favorite spots,” Hongjoong grabs the net directly under the Crowsnest and begins to climb. “Think you can keep up?”

“I think I can beat you,” Yunho laughs as he grabs on and climbs next to the shorter one. Hongjoong may have grown up on a ship, but Yunho has been climbing all kinds of things since he and San became friends. Besides, he’s at much more of an advantage with his long legs. 

Yunho does beat Hongjoong, but surprisingly not by long. He does wait on him to climb in the Crowsnest before doing so, not exactly knowing how. “I know you like higher spots because the bell tower,” Hongjoong looks out across the view as he speaks, “So I figured you’d like it here.”

The waves roll underneath the ship, morning sun beginning to warm up as noon draws closer. Everything about the setting was calming. Yunho knew he could grow to love this easily. “Yeah,” he turns to Hongjoong with a soft chuckle, “It’s perfect.”

-

Lunch with a pirate crew was just as Yunho expected - extremely loud and utter chaos. He couldn’t tell if it was due to Mingi and Wooyoung having a loud enough voice for at least three people each, or if it was like this anyway. However, He didn’t mind it. It was nice having company around other than San. 

Seonghwa was an amazing chef. He prepared fried chicken (apparently that’s Yeosang’s favorite and he kept begging his boyfriend to make it soon), green beans, and even a fruit salad. Yunho couldn’t remember the last time he had a meal this large, either. There was more than plenty of food to go around for just the eight of them.

“I was wondering,” Seonghwa asks after wiping his face, “How do I keep the fruit? We have so much of it and I don’t want it to go bad. Should I freeze it?”

“Actually, fruit from Pomusmare doesn’t get old, so you can leave them in the cubby’s,” San explains. Everyone looks shocked - eyes wide and mouths open.

“It doesn’t rot?” Yeosang asks.

“No,” San bluntly responds. 

“How is that possible?” Wooyoung tilts his head in confusion.

“We aren’t really sure,” Yunho explains this time. “It’s just always been that way.”

“Okay,” Jongho joins in, “Pomusmare has to be magic. There’s no way there’s naturally an island full of every fruit imaginable, and there is especially no way that it doesn’t rot.”

“It probably is magical,” Seonghwa looks at Yeosang as he speaks, almost as if for approval. At least that’s what Yunho thinks when the elf nods. 

“Nobody really knows the history of the town,” Yunho admits. “The elders all just say that it’s always been that way.”

“Nobody questioned that?” Hongjoong asks. Yunho scrunches his nose at the question. He’s always wondered why things were the way they were, but he’s never thought too much into detail. He figured if the elders didn’t know, nobody would. 

“No, I guess not,” San mumbles. 

“Well, luckily I snuck into the restricted section of your library-”

“We have a restricted section in the library?” San interrupts Yeosang with shock. Yunho thought it was interesting that San questions the section rather than Yeosang actually sneaking in.

“Most towns do.”

“How did you even find it? The librarian always stares me down every time I’m there.” Yunho can’t even return books without her watching his every move. He figures that’s just how she is. 

“It’s easy, you just need a hot boyfriend as a distraction.” Yeosang grabs Seonghwa’s hand in his and leans his head on his shoulder. “Then you go upstairs, and find the hidden door that’s disguised as a bookshelf between the two mirrors on the back wall.” Yunho had spent plenty of time on the upper floors studying for his classes when has was in school. He knew exactly where Yeosang was talking about. 

“Sure sounds easy,” Wooyoung mumbles.

“You’re just jealous,” Yeosang teases. “None of you could get a boyfriend as good looking as mine.”

“You’re disgusting,” Jongho scrunches his nose before taking another bite of chicken.

“Didn’t you have a point to this?” Hongjoong asks, resting his cheek against his hand. 

“Oh!” Yeosang perks up off his boyfriend’s shoulder with excitement. “I stole some books.”

“Do you have a habit of breaking and entering?” San finally questions. Yeosang ignores this.

“I got one on fruit and their meanings- and by the way, pomegranate is romantic you liar!” He points a finger at Yunho before continuing, “I got one on cats, because I still think we need a pet-”

“Where would we keep a cat on a ship?” Mingi questions.

“We aren’t getting a cat,” Hongjoong adds. Yeosang also chooses to ignore this.

“Then I found one just titled “Pomusmare”, and the other word on the cover is scratched off.”

“Have you opened it?” Yunho asks with shock.

“Yeah, parts of it are in Latin, and it has been marked in red pen. But the marked pen is not in Latin.”

“We can take a look at it?” San offers, causing everyone at the table to agree.

-

Lunch finishes quickly after their conversation, all eating in a rush to know what the book is about. Yeosang had pulled all three books from the trunk at the foot of his and Seonghwa’s bed, blowing the dust off before handing it to Yunho. 

The cover is a dark red, almost maroon, with gold letters spelling out the name of the town Yunho and San grew up in. There’s a part that has been scratched off, hiding the word that comes next. When Yunho opens the book, the first page had been ripped out. 

“Somebody is hiding something,” Mingi points out the obvious, causing everyone to agree. 

The next page is a map of the town. San hops off of Yunho’s head and lands on the page, tracing every trail with his feet. “It’s all here. The bell tower, the forest, the market.” He flies up so Yunho could turn the page. It’s another map, this time just the forest. San repeats his steps walking along the trails he knows by heart. Red pen is written across the top, but it looks more like symbols than an actual language. 

“I’ve never seen this before.” Yunho looks at the page with a frown. “It’s not anything based on Latin… I don’t even think it’s a language at all.”

“It looks familiar to me,” Yeosang tilts his head from beside Yunho. “I just can’t think of where I have seen it.”

“We have definitely seen this somewhere..” Seonghwa adds. 

“Both of you are right,” Hongjoong sounds just as confused as everyone else. “It looks too familiar.”

“Maybe on a port?”Wooyoung question. Yunho turns the page once again, flipping as he scans the words. He mumbles to himself slowly as he makes out the title of the chapter.

“What does it say?” Wooyoung asks with a little too much excitement.

“It takes a second,” San says with a laugh. “People usually don’t write full sentences in Latin. It’s a dead language, and a lot of the time the meaning depends on what other words are around it. Context is the most important part.”

“Sounds difficult,” his face scrunches up with displeasure.

“It is..” Yunho mumbles. “Cantata Silvam... I think Cantatus means swan. Silva means forest... I can also see the word nemus, which could mean a few things. I think it means forest here, as well.”

“Lucas, too.” San hops on the page and points at the word directly. “Are we sure it’s swan? We have never seen a swan in the forest..” He runs around the page scanning with his eyes, as well.

“Wait, look” Yunho points to the bottom of the right page. “Medeis is magic. That would make Cantatus mean enchanted.” 

“Enchanted forest...” San mumbles before turning to Yunho with wide eyes. “No fucking way.”

“What about it would be enchanted? This doesn’t make sense, we know that forest better than anyone else…” Yunho feels frustrated. Translating is a difficult thing to do, and it’s tiresome. Not knowing what was written in red pen doesn’t help, either. 

“I guess there are things about it we don’t know.” San seems a lot less upset about that than Yunho. The forest is his safe space - his home. What could be its secret? Has it been under his nose this whole time?

“What else can you understand?” Jongho asks breaking his train of thought.

“I see a few words that I can tell right from the start,” Yunho points at them with his index finger, “We all know pomus means fruit. Hydra is a snake, but one that’s in water instead of on land. Or near it, at least. It’s really hard to make most of this out… It will take some time.”

“Do you think you guys could do it?” Hongjoong seems hopeful. It was clear the pirates wanted to know the information Yunho held in his hands just as much as he did.

“Yeah, I could work on it.”

“I’ll help you,” San reassures while landing on his best friend’s nose. “We can do it.” 

-

Lilac, amber, violet - colors Yunho grew familiar with watching the sunsets his whole life. He knew the sunset of Pomusmare was a gorgeous one, but he had no idea there was better. As he stares out across the water and how the sky swirls perfectly above the waves, he realized that he was wrong. Nothing could compare to this. 

Despite just waking up from his nap after hours of trying to decipher Latin, he felt refreshed. The sound of the ocean flowing beneath him and the smell of saltwater mixed with wood made him feel safe. 

“I knew I’d find you up here.” Yunho didn’t even hear Hongjoong climb the ropes to the Crowsnest. “Calming, isn’t it?” He hums in response, closing his eyes as a soft gust of wind brushes past. Hongjoong took that as a chance to ask another question. “Did you get far with the translating?”

“No,” Yunho admits, eyes still closed. “I ended up falling asleep after a few hours.”

“You didn’t recognize anything else?” Hongjoong sounds surprised. 

“Nothing helpful. It’s been so long, I just need to refresh my memory.” The wind stops, but Yunho still keeps his eyes closed. 

“If it is too tiring for you, you should stop.” Hongjoong sounded worried. “I don’t want you frying your brain.”

“It’s bothering me not knowing.” It’s quiet for a few moments. Yunho can hear San laugh from the main deck. He smiles. 

“I’m going to need that brain of yours after our feast,” Hongjoong admits.

“Is that your way of telling me you’re going to cut my head off?” He jokes.

“You already know we wouldn’t do that.” Yunho finally opens his eyes when Hongjoong gently shoves his shoulder. They both let out soft chuckles. “I was hoping you could help us read something else.”

“Oh?” 

“The pirate crew we are meeting up with have a map,” Hongjoong informs. “Word around the sea is they can’t translate it. It’s in Latin. As you know, it’s not exactly a common language.”

“Shocker,” Yunho teases. He’s comfortable around Hongjoong. He can be himself around the whole crew. 

“Anyway,” Hongjoong rolls his eyes, but his smile gives himself away, “We plan to meet them in their hometown. The feast is going to be incredible, nobody can refuse Seonghwa’s steaks. We will butter them up, befriend them, and then ask for the map.” 

“You’re just going to ask for it?” Yunho tilts his head in confusion. “No big cool pirate fight? No stealing and sailing away?”

“No, of course not.” Hongjoong stands straight, confidence radiating off of him. “I’m excited, this is going to be our first adventure - we haven’t done a treasure hunt yet!”

“That’s surprising,” Yunho admits. Usually, pirates bond through their hunts. It’s why crews form, and how they grow to work as a team. Hongjoong’s crew get along so well that he would have figured they would have at least been on one. 

“Why’s that?”

“You guys are all really close,” Yunho speaks his thoughts. “It’s clear to see you’re like a family.”

“The power of the sea brings people together, I suppose.” Hongjoong rests his hip against the railing as Yunho shakes his head. 

“Not always,” he admits. “I’ve never met a crew quite like this.”

“I’m glad you joined us then,” the shorter one shows off his teeth, “You could be with a bunch of murder pirates.” 

“Ah yes, murder pirates.” The pair laugh again. The air is light, just like the breeze. “I’m glad I chose you guys. I feel comfortable.”

“That’s all you should ever feel.” Hongjoong’s words made the tips of Yunho’s ears turn pink. He could feel his cheeks warm up, as well.

“I just-” Yunho sighs, trying to find a way to form his thoughts into words. “I always felt like I explored so much. The bell tower felt like the top of the world to us. Pomusmare is everything I’ve ever known. I wasn’t allowed to leave, so I did what I could. San and I taught ourselves the forest - we thought we knew everything about it. This past day has been quite the awakening.” 

“I can only imagine,” the captain’s voice was warm. 

“I know, now,” He can’t help but continue, “Pomusmare is great. It’s where I grew up, where I taught myself who I am. But there’s so much more out there. Better sunsets, bigger adventures, higher worlds.” He runs his hand through his hair and smiles towards the ocean. “Pomusmare was a place for me and San to learn about ourselves, but now it’s time to learn about the world.”

“I think sailing makes people realize a lot,” Hongjoongs hand softly touches Yunho’s arm as he speaks. “I’m glad you feel the same about adventure as we do.”

“This is the sappiest conversation I have ever had,” Yunho shakes his head and lets out yet another laugh. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m getting so emotional all of a sudden.”

“Hey,” Hongjoong lightly slaps the arm his hand was on, “Don’t apologize for having feelings! We are human beings, sometimes it’s okay to be sappy. Especially after having the long day you have had. Besides,” He drops his arm. Yunho misses the feeling of it. “You get to be a part of our first treasure hunt. You should think about joining the rest of them” Yunho’s eyes go wide at the suggestion.

“You’re pretty sure you are going to get this map.” Hongjoong shrugs his shoulder as he starts to make his way back down the ropes. 

“I’m pretty good at getting what I want.” He shoots a wink at Yunho before his head disappears on his way down. Yunho can’t help but smile.


	4. 365

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On this endless night  
> even the moon is drunk  
> \- 365 fresh (triple h)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! Quarantine has been killing me but here is a good update for you! It’s mostly a filler so Yunho can get aquatinted with the crew!

Ink stains Yunho’s hands, sheets of paper that have been ripped out of the brown notebook Wooyoung gifted him are sprawled out across his bed, and two empty cups of what was once tea sit on the edge of the desk to his right. His brain is fried, hands are tired, and back is sore. He doesn’t know how long he’s been working on translating the text, but he knew it had been longer than he should have in one sitting. He couldn’t tell if the suffering was worth translating a few words every couple of minutes. He would have kept going - either that or have fallen asleep - if there wasn’t a knock at the door. 

“It’s time for dinner,” Mingi tells him after Yunho had given him permission to come in. “We’ve all agreed you need a break, as well. You are overworking yourself and you have been on the ship for less than a week.” 

“I’m sorry.” Yunho shuts the book after folding down the corner of his page and begins to follow Mingi to the main deck. “The whole situation just bothers me.” 

“You have every right to feel that way, but you still need to remember to take breaks. Your health should be one of your top priorities.” He knew Mingi was right. He was frustrated that Mingi was right. “Joong gets this way, too. Maybe even worse.”

“Really?” Yunho could tell Hongjoong was a hard worker just from the few days that he has known him.

“Yeah,” Mingi smiles with recognition as they climb the steps, “He turns into a whole new person sometimes. He may be short, but he can throw one hell of a punch, let me tell you.” Hongjoong could protect himself, it was clear in the way he confidently strides in new places. Yunho noticed that the captain radiates a lot of things: Creativity, confidence, dedication - he didn’t even begin to think about how the combination of those could be dangerous at times. “He kept telling us to leave you alone, that sometimes people just need to work on things to feel better. If that’s what you need to do, that’s understandable. Please, just make sure to take care of yourself as you work.”

“I’m kind of glad you got me to stop. I should take a break and enjoy myself tomorrow.” The only reason he had been working on it so long in the first place is because he wants - no, needs - to know the secrets of the forest. He shouldn’t let this ruin his fun. It’s not everyday you get asked to go on a pirate ship for an adventure.

“San can always translate, as well,” Mingi reminds him as they step towards the table. “If he’s not too busy, that is.” Yunho lets out a laugh as he notices his best friend is in the middle of hovering (quite literally) around Wooyoung once again. It seems as if the two have been inseparable since San was forced to talk to him the other day. That doesn’t stop the fairy from blushing everytime his crush speaks, though. 

“He’s alive!” Jongho overdramatically screams as Yunho sits down to his left. “I haven’t seen you in months! Years!” 

“You’re really annoying, you know that?” Yunho jokingly complains as he fills his plate.

“You better be nice to me, or I’ll crack your head open like I did that coconut.” Jongho points a blue stained finger in Yunho’s face. He remembered that the younger had said something about painting the other day.

“Joongie,” Yeosang whines from his spot across the table catching everyone’s attention. “We are heading West, right?” 

“I don’t know why you’re asking, you have a compass,” Wooyoung teases from beside him. Yeosang sends him a glare before turning back to their captain with puppy dog eyes. Something told Yunho this happened often. 

“You know we are heading West,” Hongjoong adds to Wooyoung’s previous statement. “What do you want?” The tone wasn’t rude, but just as playful as everyone else's. It was obvious Yeosang wanted something, but it seems as if everyone are used to his antics.

“Since we happen to be passing it,” the elf pulls up his hands in front of him, holding them together, “Can we please go to Harringtons?” Yunho had no clue what Harringtons was, but the rest of the crew seemed to get excited.

“Hongjoong, please!” Jongho jumped up from his seat with excitement. “It’s been so long.”

“Last time we were there was only a month ago, and you almost got in a fight with a crew of fifteen.” For the first time since Yunho has met him, Hongjoong sounded stern and authoritative. 

“I’m a changed man!” The youngest defends himself. “And you can’t tell me they didn’t deserve it!” 

“Joongie, come on!” Wooyoung chimes in begging as well. “We all could use a bit of time to relax.”

“That place is far from relaxing,” Hongjoong shakes his head with a slight chuckle. “We aren’t going.”

“What is Harringtons?” San asks the question Yunho was wondering himself.

“Trash,” Hongjoong mumbles at the same time as Wooyoung excitedly shouts, “A good time!”

“It’s a port that is known for crazy parties and classic pirate stereotypes,” Seonghwa is the one to inform the two. “You know, like hand hooks and rum bottles the size of your head.” Yunho was more than familiar with the stereotypes. Some pirates still decided to stick with the classic ways and old fashioned traits. 

“The parties are more than just crazy,” Hongjoong squeezes his way back into the conversation. “There’s nothing wrong with the pirate stereotype but there is always someone in there who thinks they’re better than the modern pirate style.” 

“The guys Jongho almost got into a fight with were being homophobic towards me and Yeo, it was this whole ordeal.” Seonghwa doesn’t seem bothered by the situation at all. 

“We have only been twice and both times were horrible experiences, you can never get anything good from that place,” the captain continues to disapprove. 

“But Joong, third time's a charm!” Mingi whines. “It’s something everyone has to experience at least once, and San or Yunho haven’t!”

“I’m sure they’d love to go! I want to see how much rum San can handle.” Yunho couldn’t help but laugh at Wooyoung's statement. San could barely hold his alcohol even at his full size, let alone when small like this.

“Do you guys really want to go?” Hongjoong looks between the pair of friends letting out a sigh. A part of Yunho wanted to say no just to please him - but the place did seem like fun, despite the shitty people. He’s never really dealt with much trouble and the thought of a new adventure excites him.

“I kind of want to..” Luckily San is the one who speaks.

“Okay,” Hongjoong reluctantly agrees, disappointment written across his face. “I guess we could afford to stop for the night.” 

-

The smell of beer and hard liquor hits Yunho’s nose before the campfire does. Lights are strung on the side of the deck to illuminate the port as Seonghwa and Jongho tie the ship up. When they finish, Yeosang places his hand on the the ropes and closes his eyes. Yunho knew the elf was magic, but it still managed to surprise him as he watched vines swirl up the ropes and ladder of the giant ship. “Poison ivy, so there aren’t any unwanted visitors,” Hongjoong whispers from beside him. Although not liking the idea of stopping, the captain didn’t want to stay alone on the ship. He claimed he’d feel better after having a drink.

“That’s smart.” Hongjoong only hums in response as they begin to follow the rest of the crew.

Harringtons played off the tacky pirate theme very well. Right off the dock, to the right of the cobblestone path, stands a giant statue of a ship. The dock immediately opens into a giant circle of tourist shops. Decor of maps and swords litter the windows, along with bold red letters and pointed fonts. A warm fire lights up in the middle of the circle, people sitting on logs with drinks in their hands. The sound of drunken pirate tunes can be heard, and Yunho thinks he also picks up the strum of an out of tune guitar. Exactly where the circle ends and the path continues into town, a giant two story building with the words “Davy Jones Locker” glows brightly. Yunho was right when he assumed this was the bar.

The inside smelled even worse than the town itself. Yunho can’t help but scrunch his nose at the smell of sweat and liquor. The lights were dim, so it took a while for his eyes to adjust. People and magic creatures of all kind litter the middle of the dance floor, swaying off-beat, laughter filling the air. Some were dressed casual, but most wore the classic pirate attire. Even the hats. Yunho and San had gotten drunk loads of times, but neither one had been to a bar before. So when Yunho sat on the stool and spent too long looking at the bottles, he realized he had no idea what to get. Was he expected to get rum? A mixed drink? Beer?

“Stop overthinking.” San’s voice scares him. He didn’t even feel the fairy land on his shoulder. 

“I’ll try,” Yunho softly smiles at him. “What do you want? We can share.” 

“Let’s get a Daiquiri with a shot of vodka mixed in.” Yunho was expecting worse, but orders the drink anyway.

“Weren’t you going to start off slow?” Hongjoong asks as Yunho pours a part of his drink in a shot glass for San. He thought it was amusing when San stood next to it, barely being taller than the thing.

“There’s no time for slow!” San protests before struggling to drink the contents of his glass. Yunho made note to ask for a coffee straw or something small. 

“This is slow for us, anyway.” Yunho laughs at Hongjoong shaking his head with mock disapproval. “What did you get?” He nods to the pink drink in the captains hands, garnished with an orange umbrella. 

“It’s called sex on the beach. It’s more fruit juice than alcohol, though. Tacky name, but it’s good.” 

“Didn’t you want to get drunk fast?” Yunho teases before taking a rather large sip of his drink. The red haired pirate rolls his eyes and downs the rest of his drink in seconds. Yunho was not expecting that. 

“Is that better?” Hongjoong quirks an eyebrow up at him before ordering another drink, this time asking for ‘the same thing as the tall one’.

“This is going to be a fun night,” San lets out a loud burp, a quarter of his shot glass already being gone.

“You’re already tipsy, aren’t you?” Yunho asks his best friend.

“Better catch up,” He smirks back, a devilish grin shining in the flashing lights.

-

It doesn’t take long for the alcohol to hit. Yunho felt as light as a feather as he swayed his head to the music. He didn’t know the song, but that didn’t stop him from enjoying it. Although, sober him probably wouldn’t have. 

“I think you should show them,” he tells San. All six of the others were off on the dance floor, swaying their arms ridiculously at the upbeat tempo. “It would be so funny to see their reactions.”

“We are drunk,” San slightly slurs.”It’s a bad time for decisions.”

“We should dance with them, then.” Yunho pouts. The pair weren’t too gone, not enough to be black out drunk, and just the right amount to have a good time. San nods and barely manages to make it on top of Yunho’s head, his state making it a little harder to fly. “They probably wouldn’t even remember.”

“They’re not even that drunk.”

“Look who decided to join the party!” Mingi is always loud, but the alcohol somehow made him louder. It’s like there was a megaphone taped to his lips, deep bass echoing through Yunho’s ears.

“Even Joongie decided to join us before you did!” Wooyoung was just as loud as he placed a hand on the tallers shoulder. Before he could say much else, Yunho was pulled around by Yeosang.

“Dance with me!” The elf laughs, eyes crinkling as he does so. 

“Yeosang gets extra friendly when he’s drunk,” Seonghwa says from Yunho’s side. The older one was dancing with Hongjoong, if you could even call it that. The pair were just holding hands in front of the other and swaying off beat to the music. Yeosang sticks out his tongue at his boyfriend before turning back to Yunho.

“We can outdance them!” He looks up at San resting on the tallers head before shaking his head. “Stop hiding.” Yeosang gently grabs the fairy before he could protest. “Wooyoungie,” he whines, aiming for the boy's attention, pout and puppy dog eyes on display. It was quite the comedic sight. Yunho needs to ask Yeosang to teach him how to get his way like this.

Wooyoung turns around from dancing with Mingi and Jongho, eyes lighting up when he notices San resting on top of the elf’s hands. “Are they getting tired of you?” He jokes. Yunho appreciated that Wooyoung was able to tease so easily. 

San looks at Yunho as if begging for help, so that’s what he did. “San is the one getting sick of me.” He sends a knowing smile to his best friend, trying not to laugh at his widened eyes. He can’t understand how San could be confidently social one minute, then shy and tense the next. 

Yeosang immediately grabs Yunho’s hands the second the fairy reluctantly flies to Wooyoung's shoulder. “Can you twirl me?” 

“Were you dancing alone?” Yunho asks as he lifts his right hand up. Yeosang dramatically grabs it before walking around twice. 

“I jump around a lot. I try and make Mingi twirl me since he’s tall, but he got tired of it after so long.” The shorter one grabs Yunho’s hands to hold them in between the two - much like Seonghwa and Hongjoong. He smiles softly at the way the captain messily dances. “You’re staring.”

“No I’m not,” Yunho stubbornly denies as he turns his attention back to Yeosang.

“You two get along well.” Yeosang ignores his protest.

“He’s easy to get along with.” Yunho was nervous. He didn’t think he had been so obvious. Was it just Yeosang who had noticed?

“He has his charms,” the elf tilts his head to the side, tone hinting at what Yunho was afraid of. “It comes in handy when we want something.”

“You all are quite persuasive.” The statement was true. Yunho could see how every member would be able to get away with things. They were all good looking and had different ways of charming others.

“Are we that pretty?” Yeosang flutters his eyes before giving a wink.

“I think I hate you all,” Yunho smiles at the jokes. 

“Joongie especially, though. Right? He has a different kind of charm to him.” Yunho knew Yeosang wanted him to admit it. He wanted Yunho to confess - but he was scared that once he did he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it. Hongjoong was breathtaking - the way his eyes shine and crinkle when looking up at Yunho due to the height difference, or when he waves with his thumb tucked inwards, and especially the way he covers his whole face when he can’t control his laughter. Yeosang interrupts his thoughts again with a witty “You’re sure doing a lot of thinking.”

“You’re sure doing a lot of talking.” 

“Just admit it,” his bottom lip pulls out in a pout, shaking Yunho’s hands in front of them as they continue to sway. “You like him.”

“I like all of you.” He knew he was being stubborn - and he knew the elf was returning that stubbornness. It was easy to mess with Yeosang. It came natural - just like his ease with the rest of the crew. The fairy hums while he scrunches his face, clearly annoyed about Yunho’s lack of response.

“You two are different with each other than anyone else. You don’t have to lie to me.” Yunho chose to ignore the choice of words - the “you two” definitely did not bounce around in his head on repeat. It was just the buzz from his drinks, is all. 

“Hm,” Yunho hums. “I’m obvious, I guess.”

“Maybe to me and Hwa. Don’t worry, though. I don’t think anyone else has noticed anything. Wooyoung has been too caught up with San, Jongho can be observant but he sticks to himself, and Mingi can’t even determine his own feelings for people.” Yeosang assures. 

“Does he know?” Yunho made the mistake of glancing over at the pair once again - Hongjoong jumping in drunken excitement at the song choice. Once again Yunho felt weak for the captain's smile.

“Probably not. He’s smart, but clueless when it comes to love. He probably thinks you’re like that with everyone.” 

“Good.” Yeosang tilts his head at the taller one yet again.

“What would be the harm in him knowing?” 

“Lots of things.”

-

Yunho didn’t know the time, not that it mattered anyway. He was sober by now, relaxing by the warm fire in the town’s circle. Jongho told him not to wander too far as he walked outside to sit in the breeze. The area was just as loud as before, except this time the out of tune guitar was replaced with a ukulele. It was evident that everyone else around him was much more intoxicated. He jumps a little when he feels a presence sit next to him but immediately smiles when he notices it’s just Hongjoong. “Was there a fight or something?”

“Surprisingly not,” the short captain lets out a laugh in response to the question. “Just wanted to see what you were up to.” Yunho reminded himself not to dwell on that statement.

“I just like campfires.” He remembers the time he and San almost burned down his treehouse the halloween of their senior year. The town really did let them get away with too many things. 

“Me too,” Hongjoong gives him a warm smile. Yunho tried not to stare, especially after his talk with Yeosang still fresh on his mind, but how could he not? Hongjoong was mesmerizing, a sight for sore eyes. “We don’t have them much. Wouldn’t be the best idea with a ship made of wood.” 

“Maybe you could go camping sometime. We can find a cheap tent. It might be a squeeze, but I think it’ll be fun.” He didn’t know much about geography, but Yunho assumed there had to be a few places for camping along a port somewhere.

“Yeosang could always make something out of vines, too.” 

“It must be convenient to be magic.” Yunho almost screams when Hongjoong bites his lip and looks up to the sky. Almost. 

“I suppose,” the smaller one leans his head on Yunho’s shoulder as he speaks. It’s fine, really. “If you could have magic or be any magical being would you?” Yunho has thought about this question a lot throughout the years of following San fly through the woods with ease. He wanted to be a fairy for a long time, so that way he could chase San and it be fair. Then he thought about being a mermaid, he even dreamed he had a bright blue tail once. But he never truly settled for anything. 

“I don’t think being magic suits me,” he answers honestly. “I’m fine with being a normal, boring human.” 

“You’re not boring.” Yunho felt his heart race and breath hitch when Hongjoong reaches over to give his hand a comforting squeeze. It took him a moment to process the words that came out of the captain's mouth - his mind circling in the feeling of Hongjoongs small hands on his. It wasn’t until he let go that he gave his answer.

“Nowhere as cool as you guys. You live on a pirate ship and go wherever you want, whenever you want.” 

“Hey, that’s your home at the moment,” Hongjoong speaks softly, almost a whisper. Yunho wondered if he had his soft moments like this with any of the crew. If Hongjoong looked at them like they were art. Maybe it was just the alcohol. “If you could go anywhere, where would you go?” 

“Anywhere.” It was the truth. Yunho enjoyed home. He loved the city of Pomusmare. He did miss running along the sandy beach with San and eating baked goods at the cafe hidden in between alleys - but he knew memories could be made anywhere. He knew large adventures happened beyond the small island he feels connected to. “That’s so vague,” Hongjoong teasingly shoves his shoulder against Yunho’s arm. Yunho thought the height difference was cute. “What’s your favorite place?” Yunho thought of all the places the pirates have mentioned in Pomusmare. Magic islands, cities made of gold, mountains taller than anything you can ever imagine. He’s always been curious - always wanted to know what it was like to explore these places. A lot of them liked the classic pirate spots - Tortuga, Port Royal, New Providence. He couldn’t fit any of them to Hongjoong. 

“Luce Del Sole.”

“Sun?” Hongjoong lets out a laugh at Yunho’s confusion. 

“The city of Sunlight. It’s Italian.” That explains why Yunho could slightly guess - Italian is Latin based. Just more of the spoken dialect than the “classic” Latin. 

“Is it in Italy?” Hongjoong finally lifts his head off Yunho’s shoulder so he can shake his head. 

“No, It’s actually not too much of a journey from here. Maybe a week if tides are fine.” He nods his head to the ocean as if it would help Yunho map it out in his head.

“Tell me about it.”

“It’s flat. Like… a giant meadow. There are a few forests, but it’s really just an open field. There are so many wildflowers there, every color you can think of. Local shops line the port like anywhere else, but after walking for half an hour you can find it.” Hongjoong explains everything with his hands. They wave around excitedly in front of him, eyes sparkling just like the stars above their heads. Yunho could listen to him talk for days. “I was born there. I try and go back as often as I can to visit my family.” 

Yunho has lots to say. He wants to tell Hongjoong that Luce Del Sole fits him well. The tiny captain has a bright personality. He is warm and welcoming - much like the sun. He wants to call him cute and maybe kiss him on the nose. Or maybe the mouth. But he doesn’t.

Maybe he would have if the crew didn’t come barging out of the front door of Davy Jones Locker shouting and laughing.

“We have to go!” San yells flying directly on Yunho’s nose.

“What did you guys do?” Hongjoong asked with a sigh as he slowly stood up.

“It was all Mingi this time!” Jongho points his finger in panic before more shouts come from the door.

“No time to explain!” Yeosang grabs both Yunho and Hongjoong’s hands before running back towards the ship. Yunho couldn’t help but smile as he hears the angry group of clubbers follow them, letting himself laugh with the rest of the crew.

He could get used to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are attending BLM riots or protests please stay safe. Hide your identity. Look up phone numbers for bail. Bring supplies. Stand up and use your voice!

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is appreciated <3


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